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By Gina Piccinini
We’re beyond excited to share that KC Healthy Kids recently received a generous $10,000 gift from the KFC Foundation to support Splitlog Farm and Orchard! This urban farm, located in the heart of Kansas City, Kansas, is an essential part of our community. It’s not just a farm – it’s a place where kids and families come together to learn, grow, and get access to fresh, locally grown produce. What is Splitlog Farm? At KC Healthy Kids, we believe all kids deserve access to a healthy lifestyle. However, many families live in areas known as "food deserts," where grocery stores with fresh produce are hard to come by. We know Wyandotte County in particular faces some serious challenges when it comes to food access. In fact, it has the highest food insecurity rate in Kansas. About 22,000 residents here are low-income with limited access to healthy food. To top it off, nearly three-quarters of the students in the area qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, showing just how big the need is. Splitlog Farm is helping to change that. By growing and giving away fresh produce, the farm directly tackles food insecurity. It also educates kids and families about plant science, mindfulness, nutrition, and budgeting, and supports local farms through our community-supported agriculture (CSA) program. Residents, schools, and early education centers in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area receive free fresh produce, helping bring healthy food within reach for more families. What will this gift do? Thanks to the $10,000 gift from the KFC Foundation, we’ll be able to make some much-needed improvements at Splitlog Farm. Renovations will include:
Many of the farm tools and structures we’ve been using are over a decade old, so this support couldn’t have come at a better time. These improvements will also help us continue our sustainable farming practices, like vertical farming and composting, ensuring we can serve the community for many more years to come. “Our goal with the Splitlog Farm expansion is to reach even more children and families, ensuring that fresh, locally grown food is accessible to everyone,” says Danielle Robbins-Gregory, president and CEO of KC Healthy Kids. “This project is going to make a real difference in fighting food insecurity and promoting healthier lifestyles in our community. We’re excited to see what’s next!” Who will the farm expansion benefit? The folks who benefit from Splitlog Farm are as diverse as the Kansas City metro area itself. That includes neighborhood residents, retired educators on fixed incomes, grandparents raising grandkids, and busy working families—many of whom are immigrants juggling work, family, and language barriers. But one thing they all have in common is their struggle to find affordable, healthy food. With these improvements and the continued support of amazing partners like the KFC Foundation, we’re aiming to increase our produce distribution from 1,700 pounds to 2,700 pounds, helping even more families. We’ll also continue offering educational programs that teach residents how to grow their own food and make healthier choices. Stay tuned for more updates on the Splitlog Farm expansion and the impact it will have on the community! Comments are closed.
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